Town centre (Dukes Ward) councillor Tony Dawson 'called the matter in' to the Planning Committee many weeks ago after months of frustration over the impunity with which the hotel chain seemed to operate.

He said that the apparent contempt which the company was showing for the listed Building, the conservation area and the needs of the retail environment of Lord Street should not be tolerated any longer. Sefton Council also received 27 letters of complaint from local residents, saying opening the arcade without permission creates the “wrong impression of a prestigious shopping area”.

After listening to both Cllr Dawson and a solicitor representing Britannia Hotels last night at Bootle Town Hall, the planning committee rejected the hotel group's bid to retain the amusement arcade, roller blind and shutters which they had brought in seventeen months ago without permission.

Cllr Dawson said: "While this decision is good in itself, I remain concerned at the length of delay before it came for resolution.

"The Planning Committee members themselves said they don't like people who go ahead before getting permission. In that case, they were talking about a couple of home owners in Crosby who had 'jumped the gun' by a few months but was given permission for their extension.

"In this case, we are talking about a major commercial operation who, as Cllr Haydn Preece said during the meeting, have no excuse for 'not knowing better' and who had gone ahead with activity which they must have had a good idea would be turned down."